Tribasia Blog

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Dzay People of Sa Pa Province

We were back on our feet for a long trek yesterday, south of Sa Pa (Northern Vietnam). We first went to Lao Chai, a Black Hmong village located in a very scenic valley. Beyond the beautiful rice fields, we spotted vast areas of maize and hemp cultures.

Hemp was introduced following the interdiction of opium by the authorities. To which extent this is successful, we cannot really say as the lush greenery of the mountains is an easy hideout for plants of any kind...
Hemp is of course used for clothing. Many Black Hmong women can be seen with strands of hemp on their shoulders which they prepare for weaving. The typical weaving machine consists of a wooden wheel around which the threads of hemp are rolled. The wheel is actioned by foot, just like a bicycle.

We also came across lots of Red Dzao -whenever you see Black Hmong in Sa Pa area, there seems to be a Red Dzao village just nearby.

We continued our walk towards the village of Ta Van, the home of Dzay people, also called Giay.
Please have a look at our 'Ethnic Groups' section (http://www.tribasia.com/ethnic-groups.html) for further information about this group.

From Ta Van to Giang Ta Chai, a Dzao village further south, we were escorted by an unsolicited trio of Black Hmong women. One of them sported a red dot on her forehead. We had already spotted a few babies and women in the market with these marks and were curious about its meaning. Was it a sign of protection as in the Hindu religion?
The eldest of the three women told me that Black Hmong actually applied a freshly boiled cut buffalo horn on their forehead to cure them of diseases. The best placebo on earth no doubt. With medical means out of reach -either financially or logistically- for many minorities, many resort to traditional methods.

We trekked all the way back from Giang Ta Chai up to Sa Pa with the sunlight bathing the valley of its fading light. A beautiful sight!

All in all it was a sunny day full of wonderful views and without any hassle. What best!
After these 25 kms walk, we are ready to put our feet up :))

Labels: Black Hmong, Dzay, Lao Chai, northern Vietnam, Red Dzao, Sa Pa, Ta Van

Friday, May 22, 2009

Rice Planting Season

Yesterday we went back trekking north of Sa Pa (North Vietnam) with the hope of spending more time in a Red Dzao village located at the top of a mountain, at around 1800 metres' altitude.

We met again some of the Dzao women we encountered a couple of days ago. Many of them are now busy working in the fields with their families. A lady explained to us that for a period of roughly twenty days, they have to work very hard to finish off replanting all their land plots and increase the chance of having a good harvest (around August-September in this region). During this time, she mentioned that she is in the fields by 6 am until 6 pm with 1 hour break at lunchtime.

Planting and replanting are a collective affair and we witnessed dozens of people in some plots: the bigger the family, the faster the work can be done. In comparison with the Philippines' terraced fields, North Vietnam's ones tend to be much bigger in surface area: mountain slopes out of which they are carved being less steep, it provides locals with more farmable land.

An issue that we observed during our stay here is that an increasing number of young Black Hmong and Red Dzao -in particular- gave up on farming in Sa Pa neighbourhood and instead opted for 'tourist money'. It can seem easier at first as you sure earn more from selling crafts but it means an increasing number of locals are dependent on this sole source of income. When the low tourism season comes or if sales dry up, we are not quite sure how they make ends meet.

In terms of landscape, the contrast between the ocre colour of terraces which have just been ploughed and the bright green of the ones used for replanting crops is amazing. The whirl pattern created by this maze of terraces just add to the breathtaking views in Sa Pa District.

Labels: North Vietnam, Red Dzao, rice planting, Rice replanting, rice terraces, Sa Pa District

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Long Trek around Sa Pa

We arrived in Sa Pa with the sun. When we woke up the following day, the mist was still hanging on the mountains around town but it quickly gave room to clouds and around 10 am to our delight, it was sunny again!

We went trekking around Sa Pa towards the north of the district. We encountered many Black Hmong -Hmong Den in Vietnamese- villages on the way up.

The Black Hmong women wear indigo or black dyed cotton clothing: a long-sleeved top with a sleeveless jacket of the same colour and a skirt adorned with crossbow stitching at the helms and puttees to cover their calves. Their headdress consists of a colourful shawl wrapped around their heads or, more traditionally, of a black round hat open at the top with their hair tied in a bun. The men wear long-sleeved cotton shirt with front buttons and long loose cotton trousers.

Black Hmong are canny traders and 'could sell you their granny'. One of the selling tricks we witnessed is for a couple of them to dress up as Flower Hmong in Sa Pa town. They thus ensure that they look different from the other Hmongs and tourists want to take their pictures. In return, they will ask for money or say "you buy something from me, you picture me". Clever enough, isn't it!

Higher in altitude, we encountered the Red Dzao. Here again the name tells the story: they are recognizable with their striking red conic-shaped headdress and red and dark clothes. They often wear silver -or good imitations of it :))- accessories such as earrings, necklaces and bracelets. They are born hard sellers and each time they see a tourist, they go for the kill! It is quite a common sight seeing tourists walking around with a couple of Red Dzao in tow. Although many of them are illiterate, they can speak English well enough to 'cajole' you into buying from them.

Both minorities earn their livelihood not only from tourism but also - mainly- from land farming. It is quite common at this time of the year to see Hmong or Red Dzao men ploughing terraced fields with the help of their buffalos in preparation for rice re-planting.

We went through stunning landscapes of limestones, terraced fields (it is the rice planting season up here!), scorched mountain tops, green slopes and peaceful villages, and our eyes are still sore from so much natural wonders! After 22 kms of walk, we are just back in town and feel exhausted. We're ready to chill out with some refreshing drinks, cheers!

Labels: Black Hmong, northern Vietnam, Red Dzao, rice planting, rice terraces, Sa Pa